Gilroy
– When people get old, they don’t like to admit it. But when
buildings get old, it’s worthy of celebration.
The Gilroy Historical Society and the Gilroy Downtown
Association have partnered to purchase plaques commemorating the
historic status of 15 buildings downtown.
Gilroy – When people get old, they don’t like to admit it. But when buildings get old, it’s worthy of celebration.
The Gilroy Historical Society and the Gilroy Downtown Association have partnered to purchase plaques commemorating the historic status of 15 buildings downtown.
The new plaques are the continuation of a project from 10 years ago that distributed plaques to six historic buildings downtown.
Gilroy Historical Society board member Edith Edde helped coordinate the project’s revival. She said the historical society had wanted to revive the project for several years, but other things took precedent and before they knew it, 10 years had passed.
“We’re really glad to get the project going again,” she said. “We’re very fortunate to live here in Gilroy where there are quite a few historic buildings.”
Each $150 plaque is dark teal with gold and white inscriptions detailing the history of the building. The plaques will be installed either this week or next week, Edde said.
The historic buildings are featured in the Gilroy Museum’s self-guided walking tours. Visitors can pick up brochures for 50 cents each at the museum, 195 Fifth St., or the Gilroy Visitors Bureau, 7780 Monterey St.
“We get several people in here inquiring about historic buildings,” said Pam Gimenez with the visitors bureau. “People especially ask about Old City Hall and a few other historic buildings downtown. I’d say there’s definitely an interest there.”
The six buildings that received historic plaques 10 years ago include Garlic City Coffee and Tea and Monterey Street Antiques at 7501 and 7507 Monterey St. respectively, which are in the building that used to house the Wentz Pharmacy and before that, one of Gilroy’s first post offices.
Beverly’s Fabrics at 7579 Monterey St. once was a dry-cleaning business, and Dick Bruhn’s Menswear at 7541 Monterey St. was the Robinson Hardware Co. from 1867 to 1980, when Dick Bruhn purchased the building.
Diamond Signs, 60 Sixth St., used to be a post office, and the building that houses the Steven C. Schrepfer Certified Public Accountant business at 7527 Eigleberry St. used to be a residential home.
